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CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 18: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 18, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

SAN FRANCISCO–The past was astounding, the present is alarming and the future is all that’s left to look forward to for Giants fans.

After opening the decade with a glorious bang, the Giants are threatening to end it with a glum whimper as they’re poised to conclude their second consecutive sub-.500 season.

What does the future of the franchise hold? Readers reached out to ask their most pressing questions and highlight the concerns looming over a team in the midst of its worst losing streak since April, 1951.

Question: With Bumgarner’s fastball velocity sitting around 90-91, is there any concern giving him a long term extension that wouldn’t start until his age 30 season? (From Ryan, Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

Crowley: The dip in Madison Bumgarner’s fastball velocity isn’t all that surprising considering he’s logged more than 1,600 major league innings, but it’s certainly a factor the Giants will consider before offering Bumgarner an extension.

The greater issue is the idea of committing more than $100 million to another veteran starter after the Giants’ front office has watched veteran pitchers like Matt Cain, Barry Zito and now Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija break down after turning 30.

Club executives know they can’t continue to offer massive contracts to older free agents, but the franchise also has a history of rewarding its heroes with contract extensions which will make a decision on Bumgarner even more difficult to make.

Q: With Joey Bart eventually taking over for Buster Posey and Posey moving to first, what is the future for Brandon Belt? (From Scott, Los Gatos)

Crowley: This is an excellent question and one the front office began considering even before the Giants selected Joey Bart with the No. 2 overall pick this year.

Belt is under contract through 2021, but the Giants may look to deal their starting first baseman this offseason if the right trade materializes. It’s difficult to envision Belt moving to the outfield because his range is limited and the Giants have been exposed in the past with shaky defense, but it’s easy to envision an American League club parting with a corner outfielder or starting pitcher to make Belt their everyday first baseman.

Bart won’t be ready to take over behind the plate until at least 2020, but as long as he continues to progress, it’s hard to see the Giants keeping Bart, Posey and Belt on the same 25-man roster.

Q: Does Alen Hanson have a legitimate shot to take over the starting job at second base? (From Sean, Winnetka)

Crowley: Hanson is a flashy player with some impressive tools and top-tier speed, but the Giants aren’t necessarily ready to anoint him as their second baseman of the future. Hanson isn’t a strong defender and he frequently commits mental errors, but he does fit into their plans as a strong super-utility player who can thrive off the bench.
San Francisco Giants’ Alen Hanson (19) scores past Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras (40) after an error on a throw to first in a pick-off attempt in the fifth inning of their MLB game at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, July 9, 2018. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

At this point, the Giants’ situation at second base remains unclear, as it’s no longer a certainty that Joe Panik will be tendered a contract. The free agent market will be flooded with strong middle infielders this year, so the Giants may choose to pursue D.J. LeMahieu of the Rockies, Eduardo Escobar of the Diamondbacks or other options.

Q: I’ve noticed that Giant hitters are too predictable, taking weak swings at the same bad pitches. Has the coaching staff noticed and what are they doing to counter it? (From Michael, Zephyr Cove, Nevada)

Crowley: If there’s a problem you’ve picked up on, I can assure you the coaching staff has already diagnosed it and is crafting solutions. In this case, hitting coaches Alonzo Powell and Rick Schu have spent a considerable amount of time working on players with adjustments in recent weeks, as players have gone out of their way to point out the dedication of the coaching staff.

That doesn’t mean the adjustments are helping, but players including Belt and Panik have emphasized that it’s up to the team and not the coaches to perform on the field. The Giants already had a below average lineup before they lost Posey, Andrew McCutchen and Steven Duggar, and now, opposing staffs are exposing a club that lacks the offensive firepower to go toe-to-toe with contenders.

Q: ESPN analyst Keith Law said Dereck Rodríguez has been very lucky and he is a back end starter at best. Have you heard any similar internal evaluations? (From Joseph, Austin, Texas)

Crowley: It’s nearly impossible to expect Rodríguez to keep up his current pace next season, but the Giants now view Rodríguez as a front half of the rotation starter. General manager Bobby Evans admitted Rodríguez has surprised the club with his production, but Rodríguez has shown an ability to mix four pitches, handle adversity and pitch deep into games for an extended stretch that leads the Giants to believe he could be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter heading into next season.
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Dereck Rodriguez throws to a Texas Rangers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, Aug. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

Q: Do you expect Jeff Samardzija to be one of the five starters in 2019? Any chance he’ll be traded? (From John, Louisville, Kentucky)

Crowley: As long as he’s with the club, Samardzija will be given every opportunity in spring training to establish himself as a member of the rotation.

Due to the nature of his shoulder injury, the Giants can’t rely on Samardzija to earn a spot and should work to build depth this offseason in the event he’s not able to provide any sort of consistency. Re-signing Derek Holland would be a good start, while looking to create serious competition for the final two spots in the rotation should also be an important agenda item.

There’s always a chance anything can happen, but a Samardzija trade would likely involve the Giants eating a significant portion of the $40 million he’s still owed or taking on another bad contract in exchange for his.

Q: If the Giants plan to be competitive in 2019, then they need some offense, and it’s hard to come by in free agency. Do you think any of current rotation gets traded? (From Stuart, Torrance)

Crowley: It’s too early to rule any ways to upgrade the roster out at this point, but unless the Giants are completely blown away by an offer for Bumgarner, he’ll remain the team’s No. 1 starter.

Rodríguez is too valuable to trade because he’s under team control, but if the Giants are inclined to get creative and take a risk, perhaps Andrew Suárez’s name will be floated in trade talks. It’s rarely a good idea to deal developing major league talents under team control, but the Giants have reached the point where they have to at least entertain outside the box ideas.

Samardzija will be hard to move, but perhaps there’s a team like the Angels that’s willing to gamble on the veteran right-hander if the Giants pay most of his salary.

Harper is a generational talent and he’ll be 26 at the start of spring training. The Giants have an obvious need in the outfield and a desire to swing for the fences (even if the fences at AT&T Park are hard to reach) when it comes to free agent hitters.

Do I think they’ll land Harper? No. Am I looking forward to his free agency and all of the chaos it might cause? Absolutely.
Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper hits a two-RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Nationals Park, Friday, June 8, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Q: Who are the top 5 free agents you would recommend to the Giants front office given their priorities about cost and right fit? (From Eugene, Sacramento)

Crowley: There’s no right way to answer this, but I’ll give it a shot.

They wouldn’t sign both Harper and Manny Machado, but if I had $300 million lying around and I had to spend it on a baseball player, I prefer Machado. It doesn’t necessarily make sense because of the Brandon Crawford and Evan Longoria contracts, but I do think Machado is the more valuable player.

As for starting pitchers, I prefer Patrick Corbin to Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel has better career numbers, but Corbin is younger, has already had Tommy John surgery and has experience in the National League West.

Speaking of the National League West, I think LeMahieu of the Rockies would be a good fit at second base for the Giants. They could use another right-handed hitter and might be ready to move on from Panik, and they might be able to keep the deal reasonable because there are a lot of second basemen out there.

Lastly, Yasmani Grandal makes a lot of sense. He’s the youngest free agent catcher on the market, he’s a switch-hitter and he can play first base. If they trade Belt or have any concerns over Posey’s ability to catch more than 100 games, then Grandal is an ideal fit.

Q: The Giants majority owner, Charles Johnson, is 85 years old. Is he the driving force behind the Giants win today strategy as opposed to taking a step back (not a blow-up) for a year or two because of his age? (From Joe, San Francisco)

Crowley: Johnson is so under the radar that even Google searches yield very little information about him, but from everything I’ve come to understand, the win-today strategy is straight out of the Larry Baer-Brian Sabean playbook.

They don’t believe in rebuilding, and that path doesn’t sound like one Sabean even wants to consider. As long as the ownership group is willing to commit resources toward building a winning club, the Giants have a front office in place that believes it’s imperative to try to compete.

Kerry Crowley is a multimedia beat reporter covering the San Francisco Giants. He spent his early days throwing curveballs in San Francisco’s youth leagues before studying journalism at Arizona State University. Kerry has covered every level of baseball, from local preps to the Cape Cod League, and is now on a quest to determine which Major League city serves the best cheeseburger.